Author: MapleTapper

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Maple Water

  

Have you noticed bottles of Maple Water showing up in your grocery store? It’s become the latest rage in “health water” and currently is running side-by-side with coconut water in popularity. Of course, some manufacturers are making some crazy health claims but a few nutritional facts we do believe: maple water has some sugar content (about 5 grams per cup) and a very slightly maple-sweet flavor. It has the same nutritional profile as maple syrup with trace minerals present such as calcium and potassium but especially manganese. These minerals are one reason it’s being touted as a good post-workout drink.

One fact we can prove without a doubt: this stuff is very expensive and some stores sell 32-ounce bottles for over $5! So this fact got us thinking: who hasn’t tasted sap straight out of a spile and couldn’t we just make our own maple water? And the answer is absolutely yes! The maple water that manufacturers are selling is just pure maple sap that’s been pasteurized and bottled. Well, we know how to get the sap for almost free so all we need to do is boil it, right? So here’s your easy, one-step recipe:

DIY Maple Water

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Maple Water

Materials

  • pure maple sap, filtered

Instructions

  • Heat to boiling and let boil for three minutes or so, filter again through the thinner filter, let cool, and refrigerate. Use within a few days of boiling. Or, freeze in small portions to thaw as needed.
  • Drink straight over rocks, add to smoothies or protein drinks, sweeten up a cocktail, or use as liquid replacement in recipes.

Another bonus: if you replace coconut water with your own homemade maple water, you’re also greatly decreasing your carbon footprint! That coconut water puts on a lot of miles (and packaging) before it gets to your shelf.

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Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Sweet and a little bit salty, this glaze is perfect for any occasion and also goes well with chicken or added to BBQ sauce for yummy ribs.
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup (for glazing)
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 2 tbsp grapeseed or extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Instructions
 

  • Combine marinade ingredients (keep back the extra 2 TB of syrup) and whisk together in small bowl.
  • Cover pork tenderloin with marinade and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
  • Preheat oven to 400°F or heat grill to medium high heat.
  • Remove tenderloin from marinade (discard marinade.) Place in roasting pan or directly on grill, brush with remaining maple syrup, and cook uncovered for approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Flip tenderloin over and cook for another 10 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 150 ˚F at the thickest portion of the loin.
  • Remove from oven, wrap loosely in tinfoil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice into medallions.
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Baked Oatmeal with Raisins, Apple, and Maple Syrup

Make this for breakfast and your kids will ask for more! Can easily be made the night before  and baked in the morning (or even reheated the next day). Great nutrition with lots of fiber, protein, and no white sugar. Swap out the raisins for dried cranberries, dates, or apricots. Add a few tablespoons of ground flaxseed meal for even more good stuff!

baked oatmeal with raisins, apples, and maple syrup

Baked Oatmeal with Raisins, Apple, and Maple Syrup

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Servings 9

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
  • 1 cup raisins (save 1/4 cup for topping)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 cups milk (dairy, soy, coconut, or almond)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
  • 1 cup finely chopped apple

Instructions
 

  • Combine oats, 3/4 cup raisins, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt and set aside.
  • In separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and melted butter and stir into oat mixture.
  • Add chopped apple, stir, and pour into a greased 8" baking dish.
  • Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup raisins on top.
  • Bake at 350-degrees for 45 minutes. Let cool slightly and cut into squares. Makes about 9 servings.
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Roasted Turmeric Root Vegetables with Maple Glaze

Roasting root veggies brings out their natural sweetness and pure maple syrup gives them a delicious caramel flavor. Kids will love this dish! Served cold, it makes a quick and nutritious snack.

Roasted Turmeric Root Vegetables with Maple Glaze

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Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs root vegetables – cut into ½” pieces (try carrots, beets, parsnips, rutabaga, or turnips)
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • pinch freshly ground black pepper 

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 300°F. Spray a jelly roll pan with non-stick spray. Stir together olive oil and maple syrup and toss with vegetables. Spread evenly on pan and sprinkle with remaining seasonings.
  • Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until cooked to desired tenderness. Leave in long enough for vegetables to caramelize a bit. Also delicious served cold.
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Rhubarb Strawberry Chia Seed Jam

Closeup of tasty appetizing fruit strawberry jam with chia seeds in jar. Selective focus.

A delicious and nutritious spring favorite with no refined white sugar. A great sweet-tart combo for your morning toast. Makes approximately 2 pints and can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Rhubarb Strawberry Chia Seed Jam

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Ingredients
  

  • 2½ cups chopped rhubarb (to about 1/2" slices)
  • 1½ cups quartered strawberries
  • ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • ⅔ cups pure maple syrup
  • 3 tbsp chia seeds (may need more depending on juiciness of rhubarb)

Instructions
 

  • In sauce pan over medium heat, cook rhubarb, strawberries, orange juice, and maple syrup until it comes to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for about 15 minutes until fruit breaks down. Stir occasionally to keep from burning and use a potato masher to break up big chunks.
  • Reduce heat to low and stir in chia seeds and let simmer for another 15 minutes.
  • Turn heat off and let sit for 10 minutes. (Chia seeds will expand as it cools, thickening up the jam.)
  • Scoop jam out with a spoon — it should slide slowly down the spoon. If not, add another tablespoon of chia seeds and let sit for another 10 minutes.
  • Refrigerate for up to 4 weeks or freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
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Mexican Maple Hot Chocolate (Dairy-Free)

Curl up by the fire with this toasty warm cup with just a little kick of spice.

Mexican Maple Hot Chocolate (Dairy-Free)

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Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups non-dairy milk (almond, soy, full fat coconut milk)
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp Dutch process cocoa powder
  • 1.5 ounces dairy free baking chocolate or chocolate chips, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • pinch salt
  • Garnish chocolate shavings, cinnamon stick, cocoa powder

Instructions
 

  • Bring milk and cinnamon to simmer over medium-low heat. Whisk frequently while cooking, simmer for about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients (except garnishes) and whisk until incorporated and heated through. Pour into two mugs and garnish. Enjoy with a friend and a warm fire!
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Maple Cream or Maple Butter

Maple Cream or Maple Butter

A delicious, old-fashioned treat that you'll find lots of uses for!
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Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 tsp butter, cream, or oil (for dairy-free) <optional>
  • pinch of salt <optional>
  • 2 cups pure maple syrup (Grade A)

Instructions
 

  • Boil all ingredients. Cook without stirring to 235°F (or 23°F over the boiling point). 
  • While boiling, fill a large bowl with ice and water and nestle another heavy duty saucepan in this ice (do not let water get in the pot!).
  • When the batch reaches the proper temperature, quickly pour into the pan sitting in ice – do not stir or let water lap over edge and let cool for about 15 minutes.
  • When it’s cooled to about 100°F, remove from the ice bath and start stirring with a wooden spoon. This will take some time!
  • When it turns opaque and starts to lose its shine, quickly pour into a jar. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator. 

Notes

*The first two ingredients are optional but help to keep foam down during boiling.
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How to Make Infused Maple Syrup

half empty jar of maple syrup with spoon leaning on the side. Wooden label hangs around the neck of the jar by rope and says Maple Syrup. Headline reads: How to make infused maple syrup
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How to Make Infused Maple Syrup

While we all love the taste of pure maple syrup, it’s also fun to play around with blends and change it up a little bit. Infusions are so hot right now, we thought we’d try it with our syrup. We hit up our friends on maple tapping blogs and social media channels and this is the method most seemed to agree on. Definitely try this in small batches until you’re sure you like it. And don’t choose infusion ingredients that could spoil while in the syrup (i.e. fresh fruit or things that might break down and be difficult to strain out).
A few fun ideas: vanilla beans, coffee beans, or cinnamon sticks (lightly scrape or crush them to release flavor); whole nutmeg, star anise, peppercorns, or cloves; even dried chili or chipotle peppers. We recommend putting your ingredients in a tea infuser or wrap in cheesecloth to make it easier to remove them.

Instructions

  • Make syrup as usual, getting it to 219°F and filtering as you always do, and reserve the amount you intend to infuse.
  • Into this set aside jar, add your extras. Let steep for about one hour – taste at the half-hour mark for flavor intensity.
  • Remove the ingredients, reheat syrup to at least 180°F, filter if desired to remove sugar sand, and seal as usual.
  • For a fun presentation, drop a vanilla bean (or cinnamon stick) in the jar before sealing.
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Maple Syrup Recipes

pancakes and strawberries with maple syrup pouring over them
Golden syrup drizzling down over hot buttered pancakes with a strawberry garnish.

Of course, your first meal of homemade maple syrup just has to be a big stack of pancakes! This is what you worked for all season and it tastes so good. After you’ve had your fill of flapjacks – and still have a pantry full of pure maple syrup – you’ll want to venture past the breakfast table.

Pure maple syrup can easily be used as a replacement for sugar but obviously it will impart a maple flavor to your dish. Generally, one cup of pure maple syrup equals one cup of sugar and can be swapped out in most recipes. For cookies and cakes that also use liquid ingredients, just reduce the liquids by three tablespoons for each cup of maple syrup used.

We’ll add a couple recipes each week during the season and send out a link in our newsletter. If you’d like to get these yummy recipes (and our really helpful newsletter!), click here.

Because sugar was scarce but sugar maple trees abundant in pioneer days, many of their sweet treats were made from maple syrup – and those recipes are still good today. Try some of these this year, you can use already-bottled syrup or make them during your initial boiling phase. Be sure, though, to calibrate your thermometer each time you boil syrup (click here for how to do that).

Granulated Maple Sugar. On a non-humid day, heat syrup to 252°F to 257°F (or 40°F to 45°F above the boiling point) and transfer immediately to a flat pan. Stir within this pan until it becomes granulated and all the moisture is gone. Sieve through a coarse screen (1/8-inch hardware screen) to create uniform granules. Use as a one-to-one white sugar replacement.

Hard Molded Sugar. Follow the same steps for granulated sugar but do not put through a screen. Instead pack into candy molds – be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions on prepping and cleaning the molds.

Molded Soft Sugar Candy. Heat syrup to 245°F (or 33°F above the boiling point,) pour into a flat pan, and allow to cool undisturbed to 200°F but no lower than 160°F. Once it drops to this temperature, stir until the syrup is soft and pliable and pour or pack into molds. When cool, poured candies will have a glazed surface.

Hard Maple Sugar Candy. Boil the syrup to 240°F to 242°F (or 28°F to 30°F above the boiling point.) Keep at least 1½-inches of liquid in the pan to avoid scorching. Allow to cool to 150°F and pour or pack into molds.

Jack Wax or Maple-on-Snow. Kids will love this one! Start out by filling a pan with clean snow or shaved ice and keep frozen. The boiling range is wide for this treat: at the low end of 230°F (or 18°F above the boiling point) you’ll get a taffy-like candy while at the high end of 252°F (or 40°F above the boiling point) you’ll have a glass-like candy. Consistency changes within this temperature range. Once your syrup has reached your preferred temperature, immediately pour it in ribbons on the snow or ice. It will be done instantly and is typically eaten right away, as it does not keep well.

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Marking Maple Trees for Easy Identification

orange surveyor's ribbon wrapped around maple tree trunks in leafy forest.

For first time tappers (and sometimes, even seasoned sugarmakers), finding your sugar maples in the woods can be much harder than you expect! You think you’ll remember where they are but when everything is gray, brown, and white, the trees start to look the same! And with no leaves (or even trails) to point you in the right direction, you’re standing in the cold trying to identify trees by the bark.

Make your life easier – and have a good excuse to visit the woods in the summer or fall – and go out and mark your trees while they’re in full leaf. The quickest method we’ve found is tying bright surveyor’s ribbon tape around the trees we plan to tap. This can be found at most hardware and home improvement stores or online and comes in a variety of colors. It’s weatherproof and slightly stretchy so it won’t constrict the tree. And it gives you a reason to go out and hug your trees (you know you want to)! For more advanced sugarbush keepers, this ribbon tape is also a good way to identify non-maple trees to be trimmed for easier access or trailmaking.

While you can tap soft maples, walnut, and birch (details on tapping those varieties here), sugarmakers choose hard maples because the sap has the highest sugar content (so, much shorter boiling time) and the sweetest, most robust maple flavor. If you’re still learning how to identify a sugar or hard maple, look first at the leaves and the seeds (aka spinners or helicopters). These will quickly give you the info you need to find the hard maples:

Hard maples have more rounded leaf lobes; more brightly colored autumn colors (especially reds and oranges), and drop seeds in the fall).

green silver or soft maple leaf

Soft maples have more “toothed” or pointed leaf lobes, typically more yellow colors in the fall, and drop seeds in the spring.

Lots more identification tips can be found at this University of Maine Extension office article.